Documents

Passport with at least six months validityDon’t forgetMost countries refuse entry inside six months of expiry, and airlines check it at the gate rather than the border.

A photo of your passport, saved offlineDon’t forgetIf the passport goes, the copy is what gets you an emergency one. We do not sell this — put it in your phone before you fly.

Travel insurance you have actually readDon’t forgetCheck the motorbike and adventure-activity clauses specifically. We do not sell insurance and cannot advise on it.

A wallet that holds a passportEverything you need at a border in one place, so you are not holding up the queue.Worth knowingSold as a wallet. We make no fraud-prevention claim: contactless skimming is rare and cardholder liability is capped under Australian rules.A$45

Clothing

Packing cubesYou can find a clean shirt without unpacking the whole bag, which matters more the longer you are away.A$39

A laundry bag that zipsTwo weeks in, the laundry problem is a smell problem, and a drawstring does not solve it.A$19

Toiletries

A clear liquids bagDon’t forgetThe single most common reason an Australian gets pulled aside at security.A$9

Refillable toiletry bottlesBuying travel-size toiletries every trip is the most avoidable cost in packing.A$25

A travel clotheslineHandwashing only works if there is somewhere to hang it.A$19

Tech & Power

A Type C or F adapterDon’t forgetSame voltage as home, round pins. One Type C adapter covers almost the whole continent — but not the UK, Ireland or Switzerland.Worth knowingElectrical goods sold in Australia have to carry RCM marking for electrical safety. We do not put an adapter on sale until the unit we ship carries it. Check the plug pins match your destination before you fly.A$19

Long charging cablesThe socket is never near the bed.A$29

An eSIM, activated before you flyLanding without data is where most trips go wrong in the first hour.

Health

A small first aid kitBlisters on day two of a walking trip are the most predictable injury in travel.A$35

Prescription medication in its original packagingDon’t forgetBring a doctor’s letter for anything controlled. Some countries are strict about medicines that are ordinary here.

Compression socks~24h · 1 stop each way. The evidence supports reduced swelling and reduced symptomless DVT on flights over five hours — that is the claim, and the whole claim.Worth knowingClaims limited to the Cochrane evidence: reduced symptomless DVT and reduced leg swelling on flights over five hours. Not a medical device and not a treatment for any diagnosed condition. Speak to your doctor if you have a clotting history.A$29

A refillable water bottleTap water is safe across Western Europe and public fountains are common in Italy, France and Spain. Refill rather than buy — a filter bottle is unnecessary here. There is no reason to carry a filter here.A$29

Comfort

A packable daypackOne bag for the flight and one for the day, without carrying two bags the whole trip.A$55

Luggage tags that are not blackEvery third bag on the carousel is black.A$25

An eye maskCabin lights come on for breakfast two hours before you want to be awake.A$25

EarplugsThe engine drone on a long sector, and every hostel afterwards.A$15

A packable neck pillowA foam one takes up a third of a daypack. An inflatable one takes up nothing.A$29

A fan you can carryPeak summer in Europe: about 32°C, and accommodation there often has no air conditioning.A$25

A cooling towelQueueing outdoors in that heat is the worst part of the day.A$19

A phone tripodOtherwise every photo is of one of you.A$35

Destination-specific

An Australian summer trip to Europe departs in our winterAn Australian summer trip to Europe departs in our winter. Every packing guide online has this backwards.

Air conditioning is rare in European accommodationAir conditioning is rare in European accommodation, including expensive accommodation. Assume you will not have it.

Hotel and apartment sinks are famously missing plugsHotel and apartment sinks are famously missing plugs, which makes washing anything by hand impossible.A$9

Pickpocketing in ParisPickpocketing in Paris, Rome and Barcelona is opportunistic and constant. It is a bag-design problem, not a bravery problem.A$115

Launderettes charge roughly A$15–23 a loadLaunderettes charge roughly A$15–23 a load. Detergent sheets and a clothesline change the maths on a six-week trip.A$25

Documents

Passport with at least six months validityDon’t forgetMost countries refuse entry inside six months of expiry, and airlines check it at the gate rather than the border.

A photo of your passport, saved offlineDon’t forgetIf the passport goes, the copy is what gets you an emergency one. We do not sell this — put it in your phone before you fly.

Travel insurance you have actually readDon’t forgetCheck the motorbike and adventure-activity clauses specifically. We do not sell insurance and cannot advise on it.

Clothing

Packing cubesYou can find a clean shirt without unpacking the whole bag, which matters more the longer you are away.A$39

A laundry bag that zipsTwo weeks in, the laundry problem is a smell problem, and a drawstring does not solve it.A$19

Toiletries

A clear liquids bagDon’t forgetThe single most common reason an Australian gets pulled aside at security.A$9

Refillable toiletry bottlesBuying travel-size toiletries every trip is the most avoidable cost in packing.A$25

A travel clotheslineHandwashing only works if there is somewhere to hang it.A$19

Tech & Power

Long charging cablesThe socket is never near the bed.A$29

An eSIM, activated before you flyLanding without data is where most trips go wrong in the first hour.

Health

A small first aid kitBlisters on day two of a walking trip are the most predictable injury in travel.A$35

Prescription medication in its original packagingDon’t forgetBring a doctor’s letter for anything controlled. Some countries are strict about medicines that are ordinary here.

Comfort

A packable daypackOne bag for the flight and one for the day, without carrying two bags the whole trip.A$55

Luggage tags that are not blackEvery third bag on the carousel is black.A$25

An eye maskCabin lights come on for breakfast two hours before you want to be awake.A$25

EarplugsThe engine drone on a long sector, and every hostel afterwards.A$15

A packable neck pillowA foam one takes up a third of a daypack. An inflatable one takes up nothing.A$29

A fan you can carryPeak summer in Europe: about 32°C, and accommodation there often has no air conditioning.A$25

A cooling towelQueueing outdoors in that heat is the worst part of the day.A$19

A phone tripodOtherwise every photo is of one of you.A$35

Destination-specific

An Australian summer trip to Europe departs in our winterAn Australian summer trip to Europe departs in our winter. Every packing guide online has this backwards.

Air conditioning is rare in European accommodationAir conditioning is rare in European accommodation, including expensive accommodation. Assume you will not have it.

Hotel and apartment sinks are famously missing plugsHotel and apartment sinks are famously missing plugs, which makes washing anything by hand impossible.A$9

Pickpocketing in ParisPickpocketing in Paris, Rome and Barcelona is opportunistic and constant. It is a bag-design problem, not a bravery problem.A$115

Launderettes charge roughly A$15–23 a loadLaunderettes charge roughly A$15–23 a load. Detergent sheets and a clothesline change the maths on a six-week trip.A$25

What to pack for Europe

Europe · 29 things

Documents

Clothing

Toiletries

Tech & Power

Health

Comfort

Destination-specific

Why this list is different

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Europe · 29 things

Documents

Clothing

Toiletries

Tech & Power

Health

Comfort

Destination-specific